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(No Model.) v R. H. SEYMOUR.

MANUFACTURE OF SHEEP sHEARs. No. 250,457. Patented Dec. 6,1881.

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ROBERT H. SEYMOUR, F HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HENRY SEYMOUR OUTLERY COMPANY, OF NEW YORK,

MANUFACTURE OF SH EEP-SHEARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 250,457, dated December 6, 1881.

Application filed March 22, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom "it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT E. SEYMOUR, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Hclyoke,countyofHampden, and State of lllassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Sheep-Shears, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same. The former method of making sheep-shears was to forge them out of a bar of shear-steel, one half of the spring, one shank, and one blade being made in one piece and forming one-half of the implement, the other half being made in the same manner and the two forged or welded together at or near the center of the spring. This involved the necessity of using steel of the same grade throughout the whole implement, and in consequence of its cost prevented the use of tool-steel, of which the blades should be made in order to provide a proper cuttingedge. This method was improved upon by composing the shanks ofiron, to one end of which shank blade-plates of high steel were welded, while the other ends of a pair of such shanks were connected by a bow or spring of steel, usually united tothe shanks by riveting.

A further improvement in this manufacture consisted in constructing the shanks and springs out of one piece of metal at one operation and uniting the bladedates separately to them by welding or swaging, the bladeplates being of iron and having cast-steel plates welded to one face to form their cuttingedges.

The present invention is an improvement upon the last named, and will be best understood by ajoint description of the old and new manufacture, by the aid of the accompanying drawings. In both processes a blank of low steel, approximating the shape shown in Figure 1, is bent or swagcd into the shape shown generally by Fig.2, which provides a central strip, 2, that is ultimately to form the bow or spring, shank portions 3, which at this stage of the operation have their sides bent up so as to form acurve in transverse section, and end portions, 6, which form back-bars for the blades, said end portions being formed by bending the sides of the blank abruptly toward each other.

In the manufacture upon which the present invention is an improvement the end portions, 6, were quite diminutive in width and length, and were left spread apart to receive between them a blade body-plate, 12, upon which they were closed and welded to form a blade backbar of the requisite dimensions, as in Fig. 3, to one face of which back-bar the tool-steel bladeplate 10 was united by welding, as is shown in Fig. 4.

In this improved manufacture the end portions, 6, are made nearly as long as the bladeplate 10 is to be, and are fashioned into a homogeneous back-bar therefor by first swaging their sides together to form a homogeneous back-bar, as is shown in Fig.8, thus constituting them back-bars of sufficient size and strength to support the blade-plate without the use of abody-plate, 12, as is required by the structure shown in Fig. 3.

To one side of the back-bar 6 thus constituted a tool-steel bladeplate, as 10, is attached by borax, in the usual way, preparatory to forgin g. Said blade-plate 10 is then forged upon the back-bar 6 by the common process until the same is brought into the coiidition shown in Figs. 6 and 9, where the blade-plate 10 is shown as united to the back-bar 6, and the metal constituting the entire blade is drawn outinto a proper shape, readyfor grinding and finishing, and consists of but two pieces of metalviz., the back-bar 6,that projects from the shank, and which is formed from material of low grade, and the blade-plate 10, that is formed of material of high grade.

One improvement thus consists in making the back-bar 6 approximately as long as the blade-plate is to be, welding its upturned parts together, and then welding the steel bladedate t0 the side of said back-bar. By this method of procedure a new article of manufacture is produced--namely, a sheep-shear with a bow, shanks, and back-bars consisting of a single piece of low grade of metal, which said backbars are given the length and strength to support the tool-steel blades without the intervention of auxiliary body-plate s,thus constructing the shear with the least number of parts, small estnuinberot'unitedsurfaces,andconsequently containing the greatest economy of operations and possessing the highest degree of strength too and durability consistent with the use of two qualities of material.

In forming the bow or spring 2, that part of the blank is heated and swaged up in adroppress by the use of a die of the proper shape, several quickly-repeated blows of the hammer being alone sufficient to give it a symmetrical form and impart to its body the requisite spring temper. The sides of its body are thereby fiattened out, as in Fig. 6, and its body is reduced in thickness toward the edges. which increases the elasticity of the spring. To finish the article this spring is bent into circularform,which brings the blades into position to have shearing contact, as in Fig. 10.

What is claimed is- 1. The method of making sheep-shears, the same consisting in making the back-bars approximately as long as the bladeplate is to be, welding its upturned parts together, and then welding the blade-plate to the side of said'bladebar, substantially as described.

2. Sheep-shears the shanks, uniting springbow, and projecting back-bars of which are formed from a single piece of metal, the backbars being approximately as long as the bladeplates, and having said blade-plates united to them by welding. all substantially as described.

In testimonywhereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing wit- I'IGSSGS.

ROBERT H. SEYMOUR.

Witnesses:

GEO. M. SEYMOUR, JOSEPH PARKER. 

